Getting There
A team of Joes have to fly a fuel-depleted Tomahawk across hostile territory and face off against two Soviet Hinds in order to rescue their fellows. Issue summary The U.S.S. Flagg is stationed in the middle of the Gulf of Thailand. On the deck Wild Bill and Lift-Ticket are doing a pre-flight walk-around of a Tomahawk. Lift-Ticket was worried there is a chink in the chain-gun feed system but declares it was just chipped paint. As Repeater, Lifeline and Muskrat board, Lift-Ticket tells them to maintain extra care because the helicopter is packed with extra jet fuel. Keel-Haul issues them with their sealed orders and the Tomahawk takes off. In flight Wild Bill opens the orders and announces they are heading to pick up Snake-Eyes, Scarlett, Chuckles and Iceberg, whop are deep in enemy territory, requiring the extraction team to violate two different hostile airspaces and watch out for the Oktober Guard. He then eats the orders. The Tomahawk reaches the coast where it is picked up by a radar operator who sends a warning to the forces stationed at the Mekong Tributary Hydroelectric Plant. A blackout is initiated which catches the Joes off guard. Nearing the plant's dam they come under fire and one extra fuel tank is hit, so Muskrat and Lifeline throw it out. The Tomahawk escapes but with the entire navigation panel knocked out. As they head over a river Lifeline spots an ocean-going junk sailing without lights at night and deduces that it is piloted by a smuggler who may have a compass. The Tomahawk flies in low and Lifeline boards the junk where he obtains a compass in trade for a official G.I. Joe Digital Watch. As they head on and fly across a jungle Muskrat explains that dumping the hit fuel drum and a lot of evasive manoeuvring means that the Tomahawk may not have enough to make it back to the Flagg. Suddenly Wild Bill spots two Hind attack helicopters approaching and the Joes assume they are supporting the Oktober Guard mission. The Hind pilots - Anatoly and Misha - initially assume the Tomahawk is a disguised Guard gunship, but then realise it is a Joe aircraft and pursue and attack. The Joes fire back as they take cover at tree level, a tactic to ensure the Hinds are silhouetted against the sky. The three craft exchange missiles, each evading them and diminishing their stock, but the Hinds still have their rockets and Gattling Guns. The Tomahawk heads into a ravine and finds a cave. It heads in. Anatloy's Hind follows them in when suddenly the Joes release flares, blinding the Hind's crew. The Tomahawk fires its last missile, destroying the Hind. As the Tomahawk leaves the cave the remaining Hind opens fire, hitting Muskat and another fuel drum. Repeater fires back with special experimental armour piercing rounds that use depleted uranium and a teflon coating, damaging the Hind's twin turboshafts. Lift-Ticket is also hit along with half the fuel drums, but the Joe pilot has a plan. The Hind is on fire ad has been forced to land and its crew run in fear of an explosion. The Tomahawk lands and the Joes rush in with fire extinguishers and douse the flames. Misha and his co-pilot try to attack with their pistols but Repeater fires his machine gun at the ground in front of them. The two Soviets flee. Wild Bill ad Repeater then siphon off the Hind's fuel and the Tomahawk now has more than enough to complete the mission. Hours later they reach the extraction site and see a huge fire. They head in to find Snake-Eyes, Scarlett, Iceberg and Chuckles waiting. As the rescued Joes board, Iceberg comments that compared to his team's long trek through Asia, dealing with bandits, dictators and Destro's legions, the extraction team has had it easy. When he sees the wounded Lift-Ticket and Muskrat he realises he has his foot in his mouth. The Tomahawk heads back for the Flagg. Featured Characters Featured Vehicles & Equipment Errors Items of note *In the United Kingdom the story was reprinted in The Incredible Hulk Presents #1, #2 & #3, and again in the G.I. Joe Spring Special 1992. Footnotes Category:Marvel Comics issues